Heat Treat Today publishes twelve print magazines a year and included in each is a letter from the editor. This letter is from the September 2025 Annual People of Heat Treat print edition. In today’s letter, Bethany Leone, managing editor at Heat Treat Today, shares about the value of people in the heat treatment publication industry, highlighting individuals in the Heat Treat Today family.
We’re in business because people matter. Heat treating just happens to be our industry — which means we like making things hot (and then cold). But at our core, our business is people.
The Business of People
When I ask someone their favorite thing about the heat treating industry, most of the time, the answer is “the people.” Engineers, operations managers, sales reps, and operators all echo the theme.
Why is that? Maybe it’s the strong family values found in many family-founded, family-run operations. Or maybe the behind-the-scenes nature of the discipline draws a more people-focused crowd. It could be that the slower-paced, deliberate innovation attracts people motivated by collaboration more than competition. I’m not sure.
For whatever reason, it is a hallmark to our industry that those from various backgrounds and experiences can come to feel like family.
Welcome to the Family
Over the past year, we’ve welcomed several new individuals to the Heat Treat Today family. Each of them provides essential skills and abilities to making this publication helpful to you.
Jake Romano joined us in the summer of 2024. He embodies so many of our core values that it feels like he’s been here longer than just a year. Jake’s detailed eye for creative problem-solving has allowed our Heat Treat Radio podcast to reach new heights, funneling robust interviews to you seamlessly every month. He never fails to step up to the plate if time is of the essence and does so with the utmost professionalism and an ear for a good story: “My favorite thing that I’ve learned about the industry is just how diverse it is. There are so many people with fascinating backgrounds and reasons for joining the industry and I’ve been enjoying hearing their stories!”
Kelsha Wells has been the mastermind behind social media since fall of 2024 and recently coordinated the 40 Under 40 nomination process. The fruits of her labors are seen daily, connecting industry news and technical updates to you via social media. “From day one, I was struck by how incredible everyone is, not just in their talents, but in their willingness to support one another, celebrate wins, and work together seamlessly. That impression has only grown stronger over the past year.” This magazine edition is particularly special as she gets to see the many worthy young people featured on pages 36 to 71. She also supports various marketing campaigns for Heat Treat Today.
Michele Shaller found us through our legendary Laura Miller (now retired… we think). Michele assumed her position as editorial specialist in late-winter 2025. Every article you see in the print edition, every Heat Treat Radio transcript, and every, “hey, could you look at…?” piece of material gets an eagle-eye review by this whirlwind editor. Additionally, she is the editorial caretaker of several platforms, including the monthly e-newsletters.
Tiffany Ward connected with us in early spring 2025 and has been generating and formatting timely technical content for our website and Heat Treat Daily readers ever since. If you’ve ever had to scrap a heat treat plan and pivot fast under pressure, you have an idea of what Tiffany’s workday looks like every day. Can you say “pivot”?
Hamilton Pearman stumbled across the heat treat industry in 2014 and took a hiatus for a few years. Recently, he has returned, and in late-spring 2025, Hamilton assumed a sales role for Heat Treat Today’s European connections. Hamilton observed that the heat treat industry is like a large friendly family, “and that’s such a relief in the world we live today… Heat Treat Today is one the best examples of what I mean. Family, technical, focused, and yet still friendly.”
Mariah Roth, stepping into the critical role of administrative assistant as of this summer 2025, addresses the immediate challenges that our team faces. Fittingly, she commented the following: “Since joining the team, [I’ve been] realizing and affirming just how small the world is — this is something my grandpa had always said. The older I get, the more I understand this phrase. At the same time, I’m always learning how much I don’t know about the world. Coming from a metallurgy background to a heat treat industry, and now to a heat treat magazine company has really brought me full circle.”
Managing Editor
Heat Treat Today
Contact: Bethany Leone at bethany@heattreattoday.com
